Devices for automatically opening and closing platform walls



s. A. SANDBERG 3,173,724

March 16, 1965 DEVICES FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING PLATFORM WALLS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 6, 1963 March 16, 1965 s SANDBERG 3,173,724

DEVICES FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING PLATFORM WALLS Filed Sept. 6, 1 963 s Sheets-Sheet 2 March 16, 1965 's. A. SANDBERG 3,173,724

DEVICES FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING PLATFORM WALLS Filed Sept. 6, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent DEVICES FOR AUTOMATICALLY OPENING AND CLOSING PLATFORM WALLS Sven Alfred Sandberg, Stigarvagen 3, Nykoping, Sweden Filed Sept. 6, 1963, Ser. No. 307,172 Claims priority, application Sweden, Sept. 10, 1962, 9,734/ 62 3 Claims. (Cl. 298-23) The present invention concerns a device for automatically opening and closing the platform walls of tipping trucks and like vehicles, in which an actuating means via an operating mechanism is adapted, in dependence upon the position of the platform in relation to the vehicle chassis, to bring about the lowering and raising of a wall which preferably is swingable about its lower edge.

The characteristic feature of the present invention resides in that an operating mechanism consists of at least two elements which are interconnected in such a way that they independently of the actuating means lock the platform wall in raised position.

The nature of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the annexed sheets of drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the device according to this inven tion with the platform in normal position,

FIG. 2 is a view of said device with the platform tilted rearwardly; and

FIG. 3 is a view of the device according to the invention with an actuating means of different construction.

In the embodiment illustrated, the device is applied to the end wall of the platform but it may of course as well be applied to the side Walls.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 designates an end wall which is swingable about its lower edge. The end wall which in raised position is slightly inclined rearwardly has end portions which are bent so as to join the side walls 12 of the platform (FIGS. 1 and 2). The wall 1 may also be bent in its longitudinal direction and the side walls may be provided with elongated portions 12' (FIG. 3) the rear edges of which are formed so as to join the profile of the end wall. Provided adjacent the wall 1 under the rearmost part of the platform is an operating mechanism. This comprises a guiding sleeve 2 in which a plunger 3 or like means is displaceably arranged. At the end of the plunger 3 facing the rear edge of the platform the piston is pivotally connected to a link 6 which in turn is pivotally connected to a projection 13 fixed to the wall 1. The guiding sleeve 2 is suhstantially parallel with the platform 11 but the outer end of said sleeve may be located slightly higher than the inner end. The plunger 3 is at its opposite end pivotally connected to a rod 5. With a view to prevent transmission of vibrations from the vehicle frame to the wall 1, the coupling between the plunger 3 and the rod preferably is resilient. The rod 5 is at its other end pivotally connected to an actuating means which, in the embodiment shown, consists of a lever 4 which is pivotally attached to a suitable support fixed to the platform. One arm 14 of the lever 4 thus is pivotally connected to the rod 5 and its other arm is according to the embodiment shown shaped as a tongue adapted to engage two pins 7 and 9 fixed in a suitable manner on the vehicle chassis. The pins 7 and 9 are removable so that the platform can be lowered without the wall 1 being raised, and titlted rearwardly or laterally without said wall being lowered.

As the guiding sleeve 2 is rigidly secured to the platform and is substantially parallel therewith and the plunger is rigid, a locking eifect is attained because, in raised position, the mutual relationship between the plunger 3, the link 6 and the wall 1 is such that the wall 1 is locked independently of the actuating means, the

device thus permits upward tilting of the platform with full load without allowing the force exerted by the downwardly sliding load to open said wall. This is advantageous for instance if it should be necessary to use the spare wheel usually placed under the platform.

A specific locking device makes it possible to lock the wall also in horizontal position and in that case the wall forms an elongation of the platform, for instance when transporting longish objects, timber and the like.

A graveling member 16 of conventional design, represented by dash-dotted lines in FIG. 2, may also, if desirable, be fixed in the hooks 17 arranged for this purpose at the rear edges of the side walls. In that case the wall 1 can be used as a locking means for the graveling member 16.

The wall 1 may also, independently of the position of the platform, be manually operated by actuating, for example, the tongue-shaped lever 15. However, when the platform is in lowered position, the pins 7 and 9 must be taken out of their positions.

Of course, also other embodiments of the actuating means are imaginable. Thus, for example, instead of one tongue-shaped element 15 engaging two pins, an element provided with two tongues or projections 18, 19 may be brought to engage a single pin 7 as appears from FIG. 3. One projection of an element so shaped may also be arranged as, or be brought to engage, a tilting flap which eliminates the risk of the lower projection being broken if the wall should be stopped in half-closed position before the platform is let down.

The invention must not be considered limited to the embodiment herein described and illustrated in the drawing but may be modified within the scope of the attached claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a vehicle having a chassis, a tipping body comprising bottom platform and walls mounted for tipping movement on said chassis, means for tipping said body into dumping position and for lowering the same, and at least one movable gate hinged to said bottom platform of said tipping body, actuating means on said body, means on said chassis arranged to bias said actuating means on said body in dependence on tipping motion of said tipping body, and operating means mounted on said body and connected with said actuating means and with said movable gate to automatically open and close the same in relation to the tipping movement of said tipping body, said operating means including at least two interconnected elements arranged to lock said body gate in its closed position independently of forces exerted by said actuating means.

2. In a vehicle having a chassis, a tipping body comprising bottom platform and walls mounted for tipping movement on said chassis, means for tipping said body into dumping position and for lowering the same, and at least one movable gate hinged to said bottom platform of said tipping body, actuating means on said body, means on said chassis arranged to bias said actuating means on said body in dependence on tipping motion of said tipping body, and operating means mounted on said body and connected with said actuating means and with said movable gate to automatically open and close the same in relation to the tipping movement of said tipping body, said operating means including a sleeve fixedly mounted on said body, a plunger slidably received in said sleeve for axial movement therein, means connecting said plunger at one end thereof with said actuating means, and a link pivotally interconnecting the other end of said plunger with said body gate to in one direction of movement of said plunger open said gate and in the other direction of movement of said plunger close the same, and in the outermost position of said slidably mounted plunger in coopera- 3 tion with the plunger and its fixedly mounted sleeve lock said body gate in its closed position independently of forces exerted by said actuating means.

3, In a vehicle having a chassis, a tipping body comprising bottom platform and walls mounted for tipping movement on said chassis, means for tipping said body into dumping position and for lowering the same, and at least one movable gate hinged to said bottom platform of said tipping body, a double arm lever pivotally mounted on said body, means on said chassis for actuating said lever at one arm thereof in dependence on tipping motion of said tipping body, and operating means interconnected between said lever and said gate to automatically open and close the same in dependence on tipping motion of said body in relation to said chassis, said operating means including atsleeve fixedly mounted on said body, a plunger slidably received in said sleeve for axial movement therein, a link connecting said plunger at one end thereof with said lever at the other arm thereof, and a further link connecting said plunger at the other end thereof With said gate to lock in cooperation With said plunger the gate in its closed position independently of the forces exerted by said lever.

References Cited by the Examiner FOREIGN PATENTS 649,202 1/5 Great Britain.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

RALPH D. BLAKESLEE, Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE HAVING A CHASSIS, A TIPPING BODY COMPRISING BOTTOM PLATFORM AND WALLS MOUNTED FOR TIPPING MOVEMENT ON SAID CHASSIS, MEANS FOR TIPPING SAID BODY INTO DUMPING POSITION AND FOR LOWERING THE SAME, AND AT LEAST ONE MOVABLE GATE HINGED TO SAID BOTTOM PLATFORM OF SAID TIPPING BODY, ACTUATING MEANS ON SAID BODY, MEANS ON SAID CHASSIS ARRANGED TO BIAS SAID ACTUATING MEANS ON SAID BODY IN DEPENDENCE ON TIPPING MOTION OF SAID TIPPING BODY, AND OPERATING MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID BODY AND CONNECTED WITH SAID ACTUATING MEANS AND WITH SAID MOVABLE GATE TO AUTOMATICALLY OPEN AND CLOSE THE SAME IN RELATION TO THE TIPPING MOVEMENT OF SAID TIPPING BODY, SAID OPERATING MEANS INCLUDING AT LEAST TWO INTERCONNECTD ELEMENTS ARRANGED TO LOCK SAID BODY GATE IN ITS CLOSED POSITION INDEPENDENTLY OF FORCES EXERTED BY SAID ACTUATING MEANS. 